smithk3933 wrote:
Wet…
Pot O nasty weather results
87isMan
#22
donstevens wrote:
Scott didn’t get his car finished, and I watched from the pavilion:( (no rain tires) Packed up first thing this morning to head home.
ukrbmw
#24
I can only speak for myself but the track was pretty miserable. Did well on Saturday, finished 10th in my first ever trip to RA in the rain. Sunday wasn’t as good, backed it in to the wall after 7 trying to hold Laura back. Not too much damage, so that’s good.
Overall, people in SE are 1st class. Forgetting the weather and the wreck, this was by far the best time I’ve had at the track.
Alex.
PS - Al, not problem on misspelling my name - I’m surprised you got as close as you did!.
Steve_D
#25
Rain, rain, rain, rain, rain. That’s the weather report from our 5 weekend sessions.
As on Saturday, the officials used the top-to-bottom qualifying times to grid the race (i.e. no grouping by class, no split start).
Grid was:
2 Johan
8 Steve D.
9 Jones
12 Walsh
13 Travis
14 Robert P
15 Reznikov
17 Geegar
19 Laura P
20 Gropp
23 Lako
26 Childress
30 Levie
35 Switzer
43 Haynie
44 McMennamy
Johan was head and shoulders above the field this weekend. An absolute master in the rain. With his overall P2 grid spot and rain talent, I never saw him. I had some fun battles with out of class cars, but never got to mix it up with any other E30s. From that perspective, Saturday’s race was more fun. Today Johan schooled me completely for 15 laps.
However, as he was battling with a Honda Challenge car with more hp, he knew a great run out of 7 was needed if he was to get/stay ahead. I guess he got a little greedy with the gas pedal and spun to driver’s right, ending his race.
Here’s the weird thing from T&S. The overall winner (a PTA car) lapped the SE30 all the way up to me and Johan (and he was only a few seconds from lapping me I think). Since he lapped Travis and finished 16 laps, Travis’ last completed lap was #15. Johan had completed his 15th lap ahead of Travis (then hit the wall).
Since Johan was ahead on that lap, the results show me in first, Johan in 2nd and Travis in 3rd.
Al had the rest of the list correct, I believe. This is my first Spec E30 win. Robert came over and gave me a big congrats, which meant a lot. I can’t tell you how nice it has been to hang out and BS with you guys (here an in person).
This weekend was kind of bittersweet for me, though. One good friend did big damage to his 996 GTS4 car, another friend likely needs to retub his Integra from an impact at the bottom of the esses. Another friend had a pretty solid hit in the right rear quarter after looping it in Turn 5. Good news is they are all uninjured. Bad news is it was my Miata. 
Oh well, he’s good for it.
Steve D.
PS - The R888s showed absolutely no wear problems this weekend. 
I’ve heard people saying they are more progressive at the limit in the rain than the RA1, which would just snap-and-spin. I don’t know if it is just the longer wheelbase, but the E30 on full tread 888’s was an absolute blast to dance on the edge in the rain!
FARTBREF
#27
The overall winner on Sunday was in the process of passing Travis at the line as he took the checkered flag…Just a hair latter would have meant Travis was 2nd. He got screwed by a car that should not have been in our group…He had no one to race with and would dive into packs of cars racing in class coming down the hill…I mean, why screw with everyone on the track by putting a single car that is MUCH FASTER than any other car in the group.
Al
donstevens
#28
Steve D - Congratulations on your win. Sorry about your Miata. You know, as much fan as racing is, it sucks when someone bends a car.
Greg M - sorry to hear you couldn’t run. The irony is, all I have is rain tires!
Don
87isMan
#30
donstevens wrote:
[quote]Greg M - sorry to hear you couldn’t run. The irony is, all I have is rain tires!
Don[/quote]
Meh. well I did waste $340 bucks plus travel and hotel. But I didn’t put any more wear on my equipment so I am calling it a wash. You know the old saying never show up with a knife at a gun fight!!! Don’t worry the #12 TMG Racing entry will be back maybe for CMP.
Congrats steveD and Johan for your wins.
Also big congrats to team pitstop in the Enduro!!!
Greg
kchildre
#31
csrow wrote:
[quote]Kelly,
Congrats on your transmission surviving the weekend. (I assume IT survived?)[/quote]
Surprisingly enough, it did. As nice as it would be to know what was causing it, I’m just glad it’s not breaking anymore. The only mechanical gremlin I had was the starter failed Saturday afternoon. I bought a starter and thought about changing it out but ended up deciding I could get push starts for the rest of the weekend and mess with it when I got home.
As far as racing goes, it was nice to get back out there. My only set of tires were freshly shaved R888’s (ordered them before the rain made it into the forecast) so it was definitely an exciting weekend.
Endurance_Karter
#33
I just want to thank you guys for your help this weekend, for letting me borrow tools and giving “technical support” with the electrical problems that I had Saturday’s race (car cutting out). I think we cured the problem, with John Levie’s tech and parts help, with replacing the crank sensor.
So, John if you can send me your email address, mine is Johan@endurancekarting.com so I can settle up with you.
If some of you are not doing anything in two weeks we have a 6 hour kart endurance race in Jacksonville, FL, where karts, tires and mechanics are provided to benefit Spina Bifida of Jacksonville. www.EnduranceKarting.com . Also coming to Lowe’s Motor Speedway April 17th – 19th.
See you at CMP.
Johan.
scottmc
#34
donstevens wrote:
[quote]Steve D - Congratulations on your win. Sorry about your Miata. You know, as much fan as racing is, it sucks when someone bends a car.
Greg M - sorry to hear you couldn’t run. The irony is, all I have is rain tires!
Don[/quote]
A lot of good that did any of us…
After all my talk of racing in the rain without rain tires 
I didn’t end up doing much racing. This was my worst weekend on track (ever). Now keep in mind, I’ve hit walls at Road Atlanta and VIR.
I went out for qualifying both days and started the race on Saturday but my car was too unpredictable to be out there going side by side with others… so I came in early. On Sunday the track was worse so I packed it up and left as soon as the race was over. Not pleased to have left and not raced… but I guess I left with my car ready for the next race (as soon as I get some f’n rain tires :S )
Patton
#35
Scott, we all get busy tending to our own needs and overlook being helpful sometimes.
I’m always one to volunteer others’ help. But, I think that Pantas coulda, woulda, shoulda loaned you his rain tires.It would have given him an excuse not to run the Panther on Sunday.
But that’s water under the bridge.
Steve DeVinney, I didn’t know about your Miata. Give us the long story.
For the record, it’s Jim Levie that is always helpful in the pit area. Thanks, Jim for getting another racer back in track! Your support is greatly appreciated.
Regards, RP .
drumbeater
#36
Jim (and Travis) helped me with my problem on Saturday (the electrical one, he couldn’t help my driving problems). Bad connection at the kill switch, racecar 101.
FARTBREF
#37
Some folks have asked where I got the image used on page one of this thread, for the record that is what “The Poontangler” emerges from when making a stage entrance…I got the idea from the pods that spinal tap uses.
back to race stuff…
Al
Steve_D
#38
Patton wrote:
Before I do that, let me brag on my fellow competitors. Absolutely zero full-course cautions this weekend. Clean races on both days. I don’t think we ever had car-to-car contact either. There were quite a few single-car incidents and those are unfortunate. But at least they don’t result in any bad blood between competitors.
Oh… And one more thing. I have to give props to OPM and Race Engineering for giving me a car that has been flawless since the initial shake-down. Ryan and Kevin did great work at the track this weekend. Tom runs a good show over there.
Thank you guys for the congrats. The facts that the conditions were tough and the racing was remarkably clean make it a memory I will treasure.
So the deal with the Miata… A friend was running it in HPDE3/4. He knows his Mini is not the platform he wants to pursue. Right now he is thinking about SM, SE30, Spec 3 or something open wheel.
In the session after our race, he was turning good laps, getting down to 2:06s. He got on the gas a little early/hard in 5, the rear stepped out and he lifted, causing the car to loop to driver’s left before the beginning of the tire wall. The impact was the right rear corner. No tub damage, but the list is pretty long: wrinkle in the spare tire hole, control arms, upright, shock, rear subframe, bumper, quarter panel, battery, etc. Luckily it was the same side that was damaged a couple weeks ago by my enduro co-driver.
Bummer for him, I am sure.
Steve D.
Matt_H
#39
Congrats Steve. Sorry I didn’t hang around to see the race on Sunday, but I had to get home.
Thanks to the entire SE30 group for letting me hang around and glean information after Saturday’s race. It was great to finally put some faces with the names.
Matt